Method of making expanded-metal structures.



I H. E. WHITE.

METHOD OF MAKINGVEXPANDED METAL STRUCTURES. APPLICATION FILED FBB.4, 1910. mmnwnn 001a; 1911.

L,014,617. 1 Patented Jan.9,1912.

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METHOD OF MAKING EXEANDED-METAL STRUCTURES.

Application filed February To all whom-525771.03; concern Be it known that I, HERBERT E. lVnrrn, of Youngstown, Mahoning county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Method of Making Expanded-Metal Structures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in wh1ch-- Figure l is a perspective view's'hmving the first form of a portion of the blank; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the blank after ithas been slitted or cut preparatory to expanding; Fig. 3 shows a portion of the blank after a'supplemental bending operation has been made therein; Fig. l shows a portion of the completed article; Figs. and 6 are end views of Figs. 3 and i respectively; and Fig. 7 is an end view showings modification; and F ig. 8 is an end view illustrating a lathing composed of several units of the form shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

My invention has relation to a novel method of producing expanded metal structitres, particularly adapted for use for a metallic lath, and is designed to provide a method by means of which such structures can be cheaply and rapidlymade.

In accordance with my invention, 1 first take a sheet metal blank and roll it or press it to the form shown in Fig. 1. This blank consists of a plain central portion 2 having U-shaped side ribs E'formed by bending portions of the metal downwardly and then backwardly upon itself. The outer sides of these Ushaped ribs may be formed with perforations 4 to increase the bonding effect of the structure. The blank in this form is next passed through a cutting or slitting machine of any suitable or usual character, and the two series of cuts or slits 5 and 6 are formed in the plain central portion 2. These two cuts or slits are oppositely directed, and are separated by a plain narrow central portion '7. Either coincidently with this cutting and slitting operation, or by a subsequent separate step, the blank is bent to shape the centralportion 7 into the narrow U-shaped rib 7, and the edge portions of the blank adjacent to the ribs 3 are at the same time bent backwardly as shown at 8, forming the bends 9. The sheet is then expanded laterally, which forms the finished structure, a portion of which is shown in Giving to the bending of the central Epecificatlon of Letters Patent. 4-, 1910, Serial No. 541,961 Renewed October 9, 1911. Serial No. 653,728.

Patented Jan. 9,1912.

rib 7, and the formation of the downward or backward bends 9, when the metal blank is expanded, the webs or slats 10 formed thereby will be caused to take half bends or twists, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6, thereby materially stiffening the structure.

That is to say, as the inner edges of the bonds 9 face in the same direction as the edges of the rib 7, in expanding, the lower edge of each slat at one end becomes the upper edge at the opposite end.

The central U-shaped rib may, however,

be bent in the reverse direction, as shownat 11 in Fig. 7 and in such case a'subsequent bending or flattening of the slats 10 will'be necessary in order to formthe half twists or bends, since otherwise the slats would stand in an approximately vertical edgewise direction.

For convenience of illustration and description, in Figs. 1 to 7 I have illustrated the manufacture of a single unit of the lathing. In practice, however, I prefer to form relatively wide sheets composed ofa phirality of similar connected units.

In Fig. S I have shown a sheet composed of two of the units A and B, and a portion of a third unit C; and I desine it understood that the structure may be of any practical width and number of units. I

By the method above described,expanded metal. structures of this character can be rapidly manufactured at a comparatively low expense.

Blanks of the form shown in Fig. 1 can be readily rolled or pressed to any desired length and of any practical width, and the subsequent operations on these blanks can be rapidly and easily performed to give the finished structure. adapted for use as a self-furring lathing.

While I have shown the adjacent series of slits as extending in opposite directions, and this is the preferred form, it is not essential to my, invention, since the series of slits may all extend in the same direction.

The novel structure formed-by the method herein shown and described is not herein claimed as it forms the subject matter of my pending application Serial No. 541,962 of even-date herewith.

It has been heretofore found that any attempt to manipulate a plate of lignt sheet This structure is wellhandlmg-is out'gof the question. The'present'i'hveIit-ion'is'believed to present an ens tirely new departure in the manufacture of materialsof the ribbed, expanded metal class, in that it aims to eliminate the tendency to. fliinsiness-by providing the blank with deep ribs therein before the slitting takes place. These ribs stiffen the sheet to such an extent as to prevent undue fiimsiness and enable the sheet to be readily expanded and to be rapidly handled. The ribs thus formed are further utilized in guiding the sheets through the cutting dies thus insuring greater accuracy of cutting, and als fas a place to grip the sheet during the operation of expanding. In that form of the invention in which the bent'edge portions of the ribs adjacent to the endsof the cuts or slits are also employed, the slots are caused to ,take a half twistin expanding, thus obviating a separate step ofrolling or flattening.

What I clainris: I

J 1. The herein described method of making expanded metal structures, which consists in first forming a blank having a plain flat portioinand deep U-shaped ribs at its edge portions, and intermediate the plain portions, then forming two series. of oppositely oblique cuts or slits 1n each plain portion at opposite sides of its center and alsoforrning relativelyshallow ribs intermediate each two adjacent series of cuts with their edges 1 facing toward the same side of the structure as the nearest adjacent edges of the deep ribs, and then expanding the blank, the, formation otthe intermediate ribs in the man- 'ner described causing the slats to take halt adjacent series of cuts or slits into shallow ribs, and also bending the edge portions of the deep l'll)S ZillJZlCUIlt to the ends of the -cuts or slits tocause said edges to face toward the same side of the sheet as the edges 7 of the shallow ribs, and then expanding the blank; substantially, as described 3. The herein described method of: making expanded sheet metal structures, which coir sists' in first forming a blank having plain portions and deep U-shaped ribs at the edges I of and between the plain portions, then forming a plurality of series of cuts or slits in the plain portions and shaping the portions between adjacent series of cuts or slits into shallow ribs, and then expanding the blank, the initial provision of the deep U-shaped ribs serving to stifi'en and guide the sheetinthe subsequent operations, and thereby make possible greater accuracy therein, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

- HERBERT WHITE. Witnesses: I

C. Y. FARRELL,- H. R..GLENN. 

